Church of the Eternal Void
The Church of the Eternal Void is a fringe religion that formed sometime in 3304 in the Core Systems. One of numerous fringe religions with apocalyptic beliefs that arose during the second conflict between humans and Thargoids, the Church was by far the most popular, and it seized on antagonism toward the Far God cult to further promote itself. Following the deaths of hundreds of Far God cult members, the Church of the Eternal Void was declared banned in all systems where it operated on July 25, 3304. History Emergence As the Thargoid conflict wore on in 3304, journalists and scholars began noting the phenomenon of fringe doomsayer cults proliferating throughout the Core Systems. Independent reporter Gethin Okonkwo published an article on May 19, 3304 revealing that dozens of such cults had emerged and attracted thousands of members, and while their natures varied, they were all adamant that the Thargoid conflict was a sign of an imminent apocalypse. For example, the Church of the Eternal Void taught that the war was a futile struggle for human souls, with the Thargoids taking the role of demons while the Guardians were "beings of light who have decreed us unworthy of salvation". In contrast, Generation Omega believed that human civilization was naturally doomed to fall before a superior lifeform such as the Thargoids, and planned to build mass euthanasia centres to give humanity the opportunity to end itself with dignity. Okonkwo concluded by saying that these radical fringe religions would likely persist as long as the uncertainty caused by the Thargoid conflict continued.GalNet: Fringe Doomsayer Cults on the Rise Holy War On July 11, 3304, the Church of the Eternal Void publicly denounced the Far God cult and declared a holy war against it. A spokesperson identified as Cardinal Hieronymous stated, "As disciples of the Guardians, we hereby declare war on those who have sold their souls to the Thargoid demons. We vow to expunge their poisonous creed and purge them from the galaxy." The Church immediately saw a dramatic upswing in support from local communities, especially detractors of the Thargoid cult. In response, security forces in multiple systems issued reminders that the Thargoid cult was a legally-recognized religion. Dr. Alfred Ulyanov commented on the situation on the Rewired news feed: "It's apparent that the Church is taking advantage of animosity towards the Far God sect to promote itself. The idea of Thargoid spies in human form, although baseless, has caused much anxiety. By declaring the Cult a holy adversary, the Church validates its own existence."GalNet: Fringe Religion Condemns Far God Cult By July 19, numerous attacks had been incited against the Far God cult by the Church of the Eternal Void across multiple systems. Several of the sect's places of worship were firebombed, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. The Far God cultists offered no resistance to the aggression, and even refused to leave their burning hive-chapels. Local security forces were slow to respond to the incidents, and few arrests were made. Church representatives and critics of the Far God cult praised the attacks, with Cardinal Hieronymous stating in an address to a large crowd: "Our loyal followers are performing the Guardians' righteous work! Those who serve the Thargoid demons are demons themselves, and we must cast them out with fire and fury." Meanwhile, Councillor Quinn Damico of Aranbarahun called for an immediate security crackdown on vigilantism and accused the Church of openly persecuting a legally-registered religion.GalNet: Far God Cult Attacked The violence continued, with the death toll among the Far God cult rising into the hundreds. On July 25, the Church of the Eternal Void was declared illegal by local authorities in every system where it operated, and the Church's leading members, including Cardinal Hieronymous, were arrested for inciting violence against the Far God cult. Councillor Damico praised the declaration, while critics of the Far God cult condemned it. Dr. Jameelah Griffin of the Galactic Interfaith Commune stated, "The ability to distinguish between laws and beliefs is the mark of a civilised society. In this case we consider the Far God sect to be the victim rather than the aggressor, despite the controversial nature of their faith."GalNet: Guardian-Worshipping Church Declared Illegal Beliefs Followers of the Church of the Eternal Void believe that venerating the Guardians will prevent the Thargoids from destroying human civilisation. To the Church, the Guardians were divine beings who have already deemed humanity unworthy of salvation, while the Thargoids are demons from a hellish universe seeking to claim human souls. While the Church pessimistically portrays the ongoing conflict against the Thargoids as a futile struggle against an inevitable doom, they continue to encourage worship of the Guardians to redeem themselves and gain the Guardians' help. The Church thus differs significantly from similar fringe religions, such Homo Terminus, Nova Imperium, and the Order of Extinction in that it offers hope to its members. References Category:Religions